Multiple-disk clutch



Jan. 2 7, 1925. 1,524,294

G. w. DRAKE ET AL MULTIPLE DISK CLUTCH Filed Aug. 20,'1921 Sheets-Sheet l Jan, 27, 1925. A 1,524,294

` G. W. DRAKE ET AL MULTIPLE DISK CLUTCH Filed Aug. 20, 192].- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 `latentecl Jan. 27, 1925.

UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ,'W. BRAKE, OF CLEVELAND' HEIGHTS, AND LESLIE R. TUFTS, 0F EAST CLEVE- LAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO'THE WARNER 85 SWASEY COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND,

. oir-Io, A coRPonArIoN or omo.

MULTIPLE-DISK CLUTCH.

To all 'whom tk'may cof/wem p `Be it known that we, GEORGE W. DRAKE and LEsLIEiR. TUFTs, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Cleveland Heights, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, and East Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahogal and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Multiple-Disk Clutches, of which l. the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription.

This invention relates to an improved multiple disk friction clutch, and'has for its chief object to provide certain features which improve the construction and opration of clutches of this type. More specifically oonsidered, the invention aims to provide a clutch which has features of simplicity, durability" and cheapness vof construction, which is powerful yet easily operated and which is so constructed that the disks havean easy smooth engagement when `the clutch is thrown in and are quickly and positively released when it is thrown out.

yThe invention resides particularly in the arrangement or manner of supporting driving inswhich engage the disks carriedby the riving and driven members respectively, and also .to a. new combination of arts in- '30 cluding an adjustable nut by w ich the clutch can .be readily adjusted.

The inventionmay be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and ar- I5 ran ments of parts which will be described in t e specification and set forth in the appended claims.A Y In the accompanying sheets of drawings v lllustrating an embodiment of the Iinvention which operates very effectively, Fig. 1 is a longitudlnal sectional view through the clutch t/he plane of the vsection of thelower` half being slightly-to one side of the plane' of the section of the u er half; Fig. 2 is a detached lon .'tudinall sectional view of the driven mem er showing one of the driv- *lng pins in place; Fig. 3 lsan end view of the same;

2 showing the driving member. Fig. 5,

notches 18EL ,driven disks Fig. 4 1s a vlew similar to Fig.` be

is an end view of the same looking toward the right of Fig. 1, portions being broken away; Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the finger holder; Fig. 7 is a face view of the same, and Figs. 8 and 9V are fragmentary views illustrating respectively one of the disks carried by the driving member and one of the disks carried by the driven member.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents-the driving member in the form of a pulley which is supported by standard roller bearings 11.0n 'shaft 12 either to turn loosely on the shaft when the clutch is thrown out, or to rotatethe shaft when the clutch is thrown in.

The drivenv member. which is keyed to the shaft is illustrated at 13, this member being connected to the shaft by a key 14 and in this instance being held from endwise movement on nthe shaft by a set screw 15 having a lock nut 16. Power is transmitted from the pulley 10 to the driven member 13, and therefore to the shaft 12 by a number of alternately arranged driving and driven friction disks 17 and 18, which are carried by the pulley 10 and by the driven member 13 75 respectively. r

The pulley 10 has an annular laterally projecting flange 19 which surrounds the friction disks as well as the major portion of the 'driven member 13,`as isapparent from 80 Fim 1.

Cne important feat-ure of the invention, broadly considered, resides in the means by which' driving engagement is formed between the pulley 10 and the disks carried by 85 it, and also between the driven member 13 and the disks carried by it. In this instance a series of equally spaced cylindrical pins 20 carried by the pulley engage in semicircular notches 17" atthe outer edges of the 90 disks 17 carried by the pulley, which disks are termed the driving disks, and a series of similar cylindrical pins 21 carried by the drlven member 13 engage in semi-circular at the inner peripheries of the 18 carried by the driven memr. It islan important feature of this invelntion that the two series of pins '20, 21

' v do notv overhang, i.. e., are not supportedat one 'end and unsupported for theremainder of theirlen'gth, but the pins of both series are supportedsffor their full length. By reference to Figs.4 and 5 it will be seen that the pins are driven in and are entirely surrounded for lnearly half their length in the i outwardly extending wall 22 of the'pulley der' of their length these pins lie in semicylindrical grooves 24a located to the right ofthe outstanding portion 24 as the driven member isfviewed in Fig. 2. In consequence both sets of pins are wholly supported for the full length which eliminates possi-` bility of shearing and gives. them no opportunity to work lback and forth and enarge or wear the: nothes of the driving and driven disks.

VAnother im ortant feature of the inven- .tion lies in w at weibelieve to be a novel f relationshi of partsemployed in conjunctlon with t e two sets of disks and the driving and 'driven members above referred to.

t will be observed particularly by reference to Fig. 1 that the disks are designed to be clamped between the outwardly extending flange 24 of the driven member 13 and a ring or so-called 4Enger holder 25 which is surroundedv bythe laterally projecting flange-19 of the driving member 10 and is designed to have a predetermined axial movementon a reduced portion 26 of the driven memberl3. The disk clamping ring 25 is provided with a slot or notch25 which ireeeives the lock nut 16 and by the latter isheld from turning relative to or on the portion 26 of the'fdnven member 13. Likewise the ring is provided at diametrically opposite 2p ints (seeV Fig. 7)- witlra pair of; lugs between'which are pivoted-by pins 128, a pair of ngers\29, which project outwardly endwise of the clutchfrom the `'space between the flange 19 -of-the 'driving member and the cylindrical body portion 'ot-the driven member 13. At their outer .-endthes' t0 'be engaged y--a sleeve or so-called wedge rs carry rollers 30 designed 31, adapted to be sinned axially of the shaft llbyl afork32 which can be movedfmanua, ty lits end bv any suitable means. This sleeve at wardly of the bevel face 33`there is a cylinadjacent the clutch vis provided with abeveled face 3 3' up .which the rollers 30 roll wheh'the clutch is thrown in, an'd out- 1,zsa4,294

28, the'ree ends of. these short arms 35 engaging the inner face of a nut 36 which is screwed onto `theouter threaded end 37 of the driven member. When this nut is once yadjusted to proper position it is secured in that position by a set screw 38, as

shown in Fig. 1.

To ap ly or engage the clutchthe sleeve is shifted tothe left as the clutch is viewed in Fig. 1, causing therollers to ri'de upon the beveled face 33 of the sleeve 31 and then vonto the cylindrical face 34. As they ride up on the beveled face, the outer ends of the fingers are moved outwardly forcing the short arms against the -nut 36, but asthe nutis stationary on the driven member, they effect of this is to move the disk clamping rin 25 inward or toward the left as viewed \in ig. 1, producing the necessary clamping ressure between the disksc to cause the rivixig member to drive the driven member 13,- and therefore the shaft 12, without slippage between the disks. This engagement 1s easy and relatively smooth instead of harsh as might be the case in. clutches of this type. When the sleeve 31 is moved toward the right as the same is viewed in Fig. 1, the clutch is quickly and ositively released or thrown out, and this 1s accomplishedl by a lurality of springs 39, three such springs ing preferably employed, which springs are axially disposed vabout the portion-26 of the driven member, and at the1r inner ends engav e a ring 40 bearing against a shoulder 41 a jacent-ther outerends of the pins 21. Likewise these springs are seated in sockets 42 of the ring 25 which sockets are indicated \by dotted lines in Fig. 7 and one shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. .It will be obvious that when the clutch is thrown in, these springs are compressed, and that the clutch is instantly and positively releasedV` by-these springs when the sleeve 31 is moved to clutch releasing position, So that the outer ends of the fingers and the rollers 30 Imay `move inward toward the shaft. It will be apparent that the clutchcunbe adjusted by turning simply 'one member,

namely, the nut 36,'whereas in most prior multiple 'disk clutchesof which we are aware, the adjpsting of several members is necessary to adjust the clutch.

Finally it may be stated that the drivin member 1s provided between the pins 20 wit ockets 43 which are used lriinarily to i'glitenthe driving pockets ma be utilizeddto carry ubricant adapted to Ysupplied to the disks. How-` member lt ou h these 5 as in many multiple disk clutches Furthermore, it will be seen from the -above description that the construction of the clutch is not complicated, but on the other hand, is simple, and that it can be built inexpensive'- ly, though the .construction is such that a powerful clutch is provided. It is to be noted that thema'jor portion of the clutch `mechanism is enclosed Within the overhanging portion of a part of the pulley 10 which l5 admits of a considerable shortening of the device in an axial direction. Further, it is to be noted that the disk clamping ring has a bearin'g both on the reduced portion of the inner clutch member and in the over- 20 hanging portion of the outer clutch member. It will therefore act as a support or thrust resisting member for the overhanging portion of the pulley, this being of considerable advantage in a stepped pulley as herein shown,\to resist the thrust created by the pull of the belt on the smallerstep of the pulley. Additionally it forms. a closed chamber for the disksfnotv only excluding the dirt and dust therefrom, but permitting a supply of lubricant to the closed chamber if the same should be found desirable. We do not desire'to be confined to the exact details shown and described, but aim in our claims to cover all modifications which 1' do not involve a departure from the spirit 40 driven members each carrying disks alternating with disks of the other member, one of said members having a radial portion and an axial ortion which is inte a1 therewith and over angs the other mem er, the radial portion having openings extending entirely therethrough and the axial portion having grooves in its innerperiphery extending toward but short of the end of the axial portion, and pins fixed in-said openings and ripheral portions of one `of the sets of disks, 2. a multiple disk-clutch, driving and driven members each carrying disks alter v nating with disks of the other member, one

of said members having an outer axially extending portion which overhangs the other member, said other member-havmgat its 1nner end anabutment, a clamping ring slidable upon a portion of said other member outwardly of said abutment and also located within said overhangling portion of the first 'named member and 'aving a bearing therein, and means for actuating said clamping rm L 5 In a multiple'disli clutch, driving and seated in said groovesvand engaging the pedriven members each carrying disks alternating with disks of the other member, one of said members having an outer axially extending portion vvhich overhangs the other member, said other member having at its inner end an abutment, a clamping ring slid-v able upon a portion of said other member outwardly of said abutment and also located Within said overhanging portion of` the first named member and extending to and engaging the same, and means for actuating said clamping ring including lingers pivotally connected thereto, and means for shifting said fingers to actuate said ring.

4. In 'a multiple disk clutch, driving and driven members each carrying disks alternating with disks of the other member, one of said members having an outer axially extending portion Which overhangs the other member, said other member having at its inner end an abutment, a clamping ring slidable `upon a portion of said other member outwardly of said abutment and also locatedv Within said overhanging portion of the first named member and having a bearing therein, and means for actuating said clamping ring including fingers pivotally connected thereto, axially movable means for spreading the outer ends of the fingers, and a relatively fixed abutment against which inner portions of the fingers engage.

5. In a multiple'disk clutch, driving and driven members each carrying disks alternating with disks of the other members, one of said members having an outer axially extending portion Which overhangs the other member, said other member having an abutment at one side of the disks and on the other sideof the disks having an extension, a clamping ring slidable on a portion of said extension Within the overhanging portion of the first name member and having a bearing therein, fingers pivotallyiyconnected to the clamping ring, axially movable means for spreading the outer ends of the fingers, and an abutment adjustably seated on said outer part of said extension and engaged by the innerportions of the fingers. Y

6. In a multiple disk clutch, driving and driven members, each carrying disks alternating with disks carried by the other member, one member having an outer laterally extending portion overhangingy the other member, said other member havmg at its inner end a fixed clamping abutment and out- `Wardly of the disks-having a sliding clamping ring, the overhanging portion of the first named member anda portionv of the second named member havin a pair of opposing c lindrical surfaces l etween which said c amping ring is adapted to slide in an axial direction and which said ring engages.'

7. 'In combination with a shaft, a step d pulley on the shaft adapted to be clutcggdv thereto or to rotate freely` thereon, .180 I las A 4 pulley having-one step thereon constituting an overhanging outer clutch member, an inner clutch member secured to the shaft within the outer clutch member, clutch disks beu' 5 tween the inner. and outer clutch members,

adisk clam' ing ring movable axially to engage and .dlsengage the c1utchsaid clampu lng ring having .a bearing o n a portion of "Inf testimony whereof, we hereunto aix our signatures. t

' GEORGE W. BRAKE.

LESLIE R. TUETS.

the inner clutch member and also a bearing 

